1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transfer type image building apparatus for building an image by a coloring agent from image transference material to material to be image transferred, and more particularly to improvement of an image building apparatus adapted to displace the recording head to come in contact or out of contact with the platen while the image transference material extending between both the winding cores of a cassette is located between the recording head and the platen.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A thermal transfer type image building apparatus is hitherto known as typical transfer type image building apparatus. The thermal transfer type image building apparatus is constructed such that image transference is achieved with the aid of a thermal head which serves as a recording head and uses image transference material with a thermally fusible or vaporizable coloring agent coated thereon. Since the conventional thermal transfer type image building apparatus is designed in small dimensions, is manufactured at an inexpensive cost, generates less noise and has the capability of using plain paper as the material to be image transferred, it is widely put in practical use not only for the purpose of recording outputs from computer, word processor or the like but also as a copying machine.
The conventional thermal transfer type image building apparatus is generally constructed such that the thermal head is adapted to come in contact or out of contact with a platen roller so that when the image is to be transferred, the thermal head comes in pressure contact with the platen roller while image transference material and paper are interposed therebetween. After completion of image transference the thermal head is displaced away from the platen roller to be ready for next image transference. Usually, image transference material is prepared in the open reel shaped configuration in which both ends are fixedly anchored at winding cores. The driving mechanism for allowing the platen roller to come in contact and out of contact with the platen roller is arranged in the area between both the winding cores around which image transference material is wound.
However, it is found that the conventional open reel shaped image transference material is handled only with much difficulty. For instance, when the existent image transference material must be replaced with another new one having a different color or when a new one must be fitted to the apparatus after the old one is consumed, it is inconvenient and time-consuming to remove the existent image transference material from the apparatus and then fit new material to the apparatus.
To obviate this problem there have been made a proposal for receiving image transference material in a case in the form of cassette to simplify handling of the material.
However, in spite of the proposal made in that way, the conventional apparatus still has a drawback of requiring wider space for mounting the driving mechanism of the cassette case in which image transference material is contained. This is attributable to the fact that the driving mechanism of the conventional apparatus for allowing the recording head to come in contact or out of contact with the platen must be arranged in the area between both the winding cores about which image transference material is extended.